Those European Nights: Dunfermline Athletic versus Real Zaragoza and Gwardia Warsaw

The next set of prints in the `Those European Nights` series feature Real Zaragoza of Spain and Gwardia Warsaw of Poland.

By purchasing these prints you will help the future of the Club as all profits go to help finance the Youth Academy.
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European Series: Real Zaragoza and WKS Gwardia

The quarter-finals of the European Fairs Cup on 16 March 1966 saw Dunfermline Athletic at home to Real Zaragoza of Spain who had won the trophy in 1964.

The Spanish team featured well known Spanish internationalists Marcellino and Lapetra as well as Brazilian cap Canario who had played for Real Madrid and won the European Cup with them.

The Dunfermline team was Martin, Callaghan, Lunn, Smith, McLean, Thomson, Edwards, Paton, Fleming, Ferguson and Robertson.

Zaragoza impressed in a well marshalled performance and limited the Dunfermline chances wherever possible. They also looked dangerous on the counter-attack. The home fans were beginning to leave East End Park at the moment that Willie Callaghan was fouled whilst joining the attack. He quickly took the free-kick and passed to Alex Edwards on the wing. A fast cross found the head of Bert Paton who scored with a sublime header. 1-0 to the Pars. Goal scored with three minutes to go. French referee Robert Lacoste said: "It was not a hard game to handle. Both sides played fast direct football."

The return was played in Spain on 30 March 1966. It was to prove a dramatic match in an era when the away goals rule had not yet been introduced. For Dunfermline, Tom Callaghan and George Peebles replaced Jim Fleming and Hugh Robertson. An early goal by Santos of Zaragoza put the tie level on aggregate.

An entertaining game saw Zaragoza have the balance of the play but the Dunfermline defence coped well. With a few minutes to go, the Spanish got a second goal and the tie looked beyond the Pars. However, Alex Ferguson scored in the last minute. With the match tied at 2-1 on the night but 2-2 on aggregate, extra-time was played.

Almost immediately Real Zaragoza scored but another Ferguson goal took the tie to 3-3. There was only three minutes remaining when Villa of Zaragoza scored the winner, with the Spanish winning 4-2 on the night and 4-3 overall. The away goals rule would have taken the Pars through and this was introduced in the very next season.

Dunfermline Athletic played Gwardia Warsaw of Poland on 5 November 1969 in the second round of the European Fairs Cup at East End Park. Dunfermline Athletic were sitting top of the Scottish League at the time.

The team was Martin, Callaghan, Lunn, McGarty, Baillie, Renton, Mitchell, McKimmie, Edwards, Gardner, McLean.

A tight game was only just won by the Pars, who failed to capitalise on an early goal from George McLean. With Bent Martin in goal playing well, the defence seemed to be coping although the forward line was not firing on all cylinders. It was therefore a disappointment when the Poles equalised in 63 minutes with a goal from Marczak. This persuaded Manager George Farm to replace McKimmie with Robertson, and move Gardner to a striker role. Paddy Gardner scored the winner in the 73rd minute.

For the away leg in Warsaw, Bert Paton returned to the team in the place of McKimmie.

It was to prove a superb rear-guard action by Dunfermline who scored at the very start of the match with a spectacular long range shot from Renton. Both Doug Baillie and Bent Martin were stand-outs for the Pars who survived attack after attack without conceding. It ended 1-0 to Dunfermline on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.